1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to the field of aviation which manages or generates flight path data or trajectory data for an aircraft in flight.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the United States (“U.S.”), preparations have begun to implement the Next Generation Air Transport System (“NextGen”), a system designed to reduce the stress currently experienced in the U.S and address the expected growth in aircraft operations forecasted through 2025. A Concept of Operations (“ConOps”) developed for NextGen has identified many NextGen capabilities which detail the overall effect desired through the implementations of specific standards, processes, and conditions. One of these identified capabilities is an air traffic management (“ATM”) capability known as Efficient Trajectory Management, which provides the ability to assign trajectories that minimize the frequency and complexity of aircraft conflicts through the negotiation and adjustment of individual aircraft trajectories and/or sequences when required by resource constraints.
The ConOps has identified many stakeholders (or users) including an air navigation service provider (“ANSP”) and flight operators. The ANSP has been identified as providing ATM and air traffic control services for flight operators for the purpose of providing safe and efficient flight operations. ATM responsibilities include communications, navigation, and surveillance (“CNS”). Flight operators have been identified as planning and operating a flight within the National Airspace System (“NAS”), including flight crews, flight operations centers, and operators conducting private, business, scheduled air transport, government, and military flight operations.
One of the goals and objectives of NextGen is a concept of trajectory-based operations (“TBO”). The basis for TBO is knowing each aircraft's expected flight profile and time information beforehand. The specificity of four-dimensional trajectories (“4DT”) is supposed to match the mode of operations and the requirements of the airspace in which the aircraft operates. A major benefit of 4DT is that it enables ANSPs and operators to assess the effects of proposed trajectories and resource allocation plans, allowing ANSPs and operators to understand the implications of demand and identify where constraints need further mitigation.
The flight management system (“FMS”) is capable of storing flight path information as well as 4DTs; however, the information available to the FMS and other aircraft systems may be limited. As such, the FMS and other aircraft systems may not have full knowledge of information that is available to the operator if the operator desires to optimize the flight trajectory of not only one aircraft in flight but also a plurality of other aircraft in flight which the operator may operate.
One way of optimizing the flight trajectory has been disclosed by Borghese et al in U.S. Pat. No. 8,600,675 entitled “System and Method for Generating Trajectory Data for an Aircraft in Flight,” a reference which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. In the reference, two-way communications are established between three parties: a dispatch center (“DC”) of flight operators, an aircraft system of an aircraft in flight (and aircraft systems of other aircraft), and the ANSP. From data provided by the aircraft system(s) and the ANSP, the trajectory data generator of the DC as disclosed therein has been configured to determine an optimized flight trajectory employing a trajectory optimization function, generate DC trajectory data representative of the optimized flight trajectory, and send the generated DC trajectory data to the other parties.